Sevenoaks Vine Cricket Club

Royal Brussels CC “afternoon game”

13 Jun 2015 - Charlie Compton

Like men of war, we arrived back at Royal Brussels CC counting our losses of the previous 24hrs. Constantine was a non-starter, but committed himself to scoring on the provision he was well-stocked with cheese and wine for the first innings and prosecco the second. Burden liked this approach and offered to umpire on similar terms. Judd failed a fitness test, and Billings has no choice but to make up the numbers despite a shoulder injury.

We were however boosted by the arrival of our very own Prussian hero in Stuart Seldon.

Despite an initial lack of enthusiasm all-round for bowling any significant number of overs, the troops were fully engaged once more. Ordinary opening spells from night owls Taylor and Sykes were brilliantly supported by a characterful fielding display, and then followed up by some masterful bowling from Lowndes, Smith, Jones and Billy Whizz. All four were outstanding, but it was Whizz that set the world alight with a display of flight and guile that had the hosts in a real spin. His three wickets were all caught by Seldon behind the stumps (who also took two excellent stumpings).

Royal Brussels finished on 158 all out.

The tourists were now rightly confident. With the Seldon leading from the front (52no, retired). Billings (0) and Taylor (8) had one eye on the ferry, but Macca scored a quick 20 and Jones (11) and Sykes (17) both chipped in. As the chase increased momentum, Constantine got more abusive from the score box and the cheese continued to ripen in the Belgian sunshine. But it was perhaps fittingly left to the Skipper (26no) and Billy Whizz (17no) to see us home and complete a fantastic brace of wins against a most hospitable Royal Brussels CC.